A Norwegian cruise ship carrying 206 passengers and crew ran aground in northwest Greenland, Danish authorities announced Tuesday. They made sure no one on board was in danger.
“Our units are far away and the weather can be very unfavorable”explained Commander Brian Jensen of the Joint Arctic Command.
The nearest Danish naval ship was about 2,000 kilometers (1,200 nautical miles) away on Tuesday, he pointed out.
Brian Jensen added that the Danish navy ship is en route to the site and could reach the stranded ship on Friday.
For now, there is no immediate danger to human life or the environment, but authorities “are taking this incident very seriously,” the commander said, quoted in a statement.
The Ocean Explorer, 104.4 meters long and 18 meters wide, ran aground in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park on Monday.
It is the largest national park in the world and the northernmost, known for its icebergs and musk oxen grazing along the coast.
The ship belongs to the Ulstein Group in Ulsteinvik, Southern Norway.
Authorities contacted another cruise ship in the region and were asked to remain nearby to assist if the situation developed.
The stranded cruise ship can also free itself when the tide is high, according to Greenland television channel KNR.
“Regardless, the most important thing for us is that everyone stays safe.”Jensen noted.
Later on Tuesday, the Joint Arctic Command said on its Facebook page that the ship was still stranded despite the tide.
‘There are still no reports that human lives or the environment are in danger’also assured the Joint Arctic Command.
The Joint Arctic Command’s main mission is to ensure Danish sovereignty by overseeing the area surrounding the Faroe Islands and Greenland, two semi-independent territories that are part of the Danish Kingdom.
Source: DN
